Abstract
We have consistently noted glucose release by the kidney of the unstressed fetal sheep, but it is not known whether this glucose is produced by gluconeogenesis or by glycogenolysis. To examine this question, we infused 14C-lactate intravenously into 5 healthy fetal sheep (mean gestational age 130 days) which had catheters chronically placed in the fetal descending aorta (FA), renal vein (RV), and inferior vena cava. We measured 14C-glucose and glucose concentrations in the RV and FA, total 14C-radioactivity and lactate concentration in the FA, and renal blood flow by the radioactive microsphere method. We calculated glucose flux across the kidney by the Fick method. Lactate specific activity was not measured; since total 14C-radioactivity may include 14C-metabolites of lactate, we could not calculate the actual quantity of glucose produced from lactate. We could, however, measure the minimum amount of glucose produced from lactate. We found net glucose release by the kidney (mean 3.0 mg/min/100 g kidney); at least 23% of this glucose was produced from lactate (0.7 mg/min/100g kidney).
The unstressed fetal sheep kidney is therefore able to produce glucose by gluconeogenesis. This new glucose may be used by the kidney or may contribute to total fetal glucose supply. (Supported by HD 17618.)
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Gleason, C., Iwamoto, H. & Rudolph, A. 266 GLUCONEOGENESIS BY THE FETAL SHEEP KIDNEY. Pediatr Res 19, 155 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-00296
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-00296